So You Adopted a Cat…Now What?

I am not a first time cat owner. I’ve grown up having at least two cats in my household. This is, however, the first time I’m the primary owner–which means I’m the one paying for everything. So, yeah that’s new. And expensive.

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A Little Background

My sister and I adopted Patches and Darcy back in August 2023. My parents had been fostering them and they were supposed to go to a family friend, but it ended up not working out. Which, of course, happens, but my stepsister adored Patches and wanted her to go to a friend so she could still see her.

It took months of hemming and hawing. Could we really afford two cats? Did that really matter at the end of the day? I mean, we’d been stopping by my parents place at least once a week for a dopamine boost and furbaby cuddles. Neither of us had gone so long without having pets around (it’d been a year at that point) and it totally affected our mental health.

Needless to say, we gave in.

What Do You Really Need?

Now, did my sister and I spend way too much money at one time and did so somewhat unnecessarily? Yes. This is why I am writing this post, so you don’t make the same mistakes. Is cat ownership–pet ownership–expensive in…